This is the beginning stage of the thesis process. You should talk to a Department of English faculty member who specializes in your research area about the possibility of advising your thesis. A co-adviser, either from within or outside of the Department of English, may be sought if your adviser thinks it is necessary. A Department of English faculty member can advise a maximum of three MA students.

After you confirm your adviser, it's recommended to set up a regular meeting time with your adviser. The first few meetings can be discussions of your thesis topic and the feasibility of your current research plan. To make the meetings effective, please do your research and prepare materials before coming to the meetings. It is also important to plan ahead on what you would like to talk to your adviser about in the meetings. Subsequent meetings will be mainly for your adviser to give you feedback on your thesis. Check with your adviser to find out what method of giving feedback will be best for both of you. Some advisers will prefer that you send in your updated thesis draft one or two weeks before the meeting time to allow your adviser to read through your thesis. Others prefer to workshop the draft in person. Of course, the best method for giving feedback may change as your thesis gets closer to completion.

Bear in mind that this is your thesis, and you should be the one who takes initiative in everything. Do not expect your adviser to write you regularly to check on the thesis status or schedule a meeting with you.

Confirm Adviser(s)

Time

• Earliest: First semester of the second year
• Latest: Before the end of the second semester of the third year

Student's Tasks

Find and secure your adviser as suggested above. Then complete the following forms and submit them to the department office to complete adviser confirmation.

• Thesis Adviser Agreement - Printed copy
• Thesis Co-advising Agreement - Printed copy; if applicable

Note on Adviser's Teaching Hour & Honorarium

Technically, faculty members receive 0.5 teaching hours for each student they advise in a semester. However, this teaching hour is only added to the faculty member’s total teaching hours if s/he is not teaching the required minimum of nine teaching hours for the semester (a very rare occurrence).

An advisory honorarium of NT$4,000 is paid to the main adviser after the department office receives the final thesis from the student. If there is a co-adviser, the division of the honorarium should be handled by the advisers themselves.

Regulation Sources

• On adviser - Article IV, Department of English Master's Degree Thesis Policy & Procedures for Cultural & Literary Studies Track & Topics
• On faculty's teaching hours - Article VIII, Taipei Tech Teaching Hour Policy for Faculty and Faculty in An Administrative Role (Chinese only)